Keen Kittens

Kittens, usually born in a litter of three to five, are born deaf and blind. They are helpless and require their mother to feed them and keep them warm. They can see after about ten days, and hear after fourteen days, although some breeds can see and hear earlier than this. A kitten’s fur
is soft and downy until the adult awn and guard hairs are grown. Kittens are
also normally born with a lighter fur color than what they will have as an
adult. Their fur starts to change colors and can develop patterns beginning at
one week. The fur can continue to change until the kitten is up to three years
old. All kittens are also born with blue eyes, which will start to change to
its original color after two to three months. In terms of
feeding, a day old kitten should be fed every two to four hours, while an eight
week old weaned kitten should be fed three to four times a day. A kitten that
is six months old should be fed twice a day from then on. From kitten-hood to
adulthood, their diet should include both moist and dry food. Cats and kittens
often don't drink as much as they should, and because moist food is normally 70
-75% water, this helps them receive all the water they need to prevent illness
and keep them healthy. Because a kitten's milk teeth start to develop at around
two weeks of age, a kitten can start eating solid food at around three to four
weeks. This solid food, however, should contain larger quantities of vitamins
and minerals than regular cat food that kittens need more of including protein,
calcium, fat, phosphorus, and vitamin B. A kitten is
protected from disease when it is little because its mother's milk has
colostrum in it. Colostrum contains antibodies, and these help immunize the
kitten for a short time. The colostrum disappears from the milk at about six to
eight weeks, around the time a kitten should be weaned. This is when a kitten’s
first vaccine, the FVRCP, should be received.